How To Stop Wasting Money At Movie Theaters And See Awesome Stuff For Cheap

The National Association of Theater Owners made public this week what anyone who has meandered over to Fandango or a multiplex already knows: A movie ticket has become really freaking expensive.

The trade group that represents theaters revealed that the average price of two hours or so in their dark rooms has shot up to $8.38, a big 40-cent increase over last year. If you’re in a major city, you’re actually salivating over the idea of paying eight and change to see a flick; an average movie ticket in New York City, for example, is around $13.50 — and $21.50 for an Imax 3D movie. There are cheaper baseball game tickets, especially if you’re a Mets fan.

There are lots of reasons for the spike: from 3D movies to declines in actual ticket sales (maybe they’re related?). More important, however, is how you can avoid feeling like pirates just jumped out of a kiosk and plundered the gold hidden inside your wallet.

The answer is Video on Demand. Given that major theaters are clogged with big blockbusters, there isn’t a ton of room for the smart, silly, and experimental movies you’d have likely seen on more big screens just a few years ago. So, distributors are releasing more and more films on demand to everyone at the same time as they put them in a few theaters (and sometimes, way before); in 2012, the number of movies that played simultaneously in theaters and homes hit nearly 70.

A rental on iTunes is just $7 at most, and you can invite as many people over as you’d like. Plus, the popcorn is way cheaper and less buttery. Here’s a list of some of excellent new movies you can watch on demand this summer, whether they’re in your town or not.

2.Only God Forgives

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya PansringarmDirected by: Nicolas Winding RefnThe Skinny: Julian, a drug smuggler thriving in Bangkok’s criminal underworld, sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother’s recent death. Many critics disliked this movie, but your wise guide here at BuzzFeed thinks it’s one of the funniest of the year.

3.Greetings From Tim Buckley

Starring: Penn Badgley, Imogen PootsDirected by: Dan AlgrantThe Skinny: A look at a few days in the early journey of Jeff Buckley, who visits New York to perform at a tribute concert to a dad he barely knew.

6.The English Teacher

Starring: Julianne Moore, Michael Angarano, Nathan Lane, Lily Collins, Greg KinnearDirected by: Craig ZiskThe Skinny: An English teacher begins an affair with a former student and tries to bring his writing to life.

8.Shadow Dancer

Starring: Clive Owen, Andrea RiseboroughDirected by: James MarshThe Skinny: Set in 1990s Belfast, an active member of the Irish Republican Army becomes an informant for MI5 in order to protect her son’s welfare.

12.Byzantium

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Gemma ArtertonDirected by: Neil JordanThe Skinny: Residents of a coastal town learn — with deathly consequences — the secret shared by the two mysterious women who have sought shelter at a local resort.

15.Crystal Fairy

Starring: Michael Cera, Gaby Hoffmann, The Silva BrothersDirected by: Sebastian SilvaThe Skinny: As Jamie travels in Chile, he invites an eccentric woman to join his group’s quest to score a fabled hallucinogen, a move that finds him at odds with his new companion, until they drink the magic brew on a beach at the edge of the desert.

16.Dealin’ With Idiots

Starring: Jeff Garlin, Richard Kind, Bob Odenkirk, JB SmooveDirected by: Jeff GarlinThe Skinny: Faced with the absurd competitiveness surrounding his son’s youth league baseball team, a famous comedian decides to get to know the colorful parents and coaches of the team better in an attempt to find the inspiration for his next movie.

17.The Hunt

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika WedderkoppDirected by: Thomas VinterbergThe Skinny: A teacher lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son’s custody. His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie.

19.Lovelace

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, James Franco, Juno Temple, Hank Azaria, Adam Brody, Sharon StoneDirected by: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey FriedmanThe Skinny: Story of Linda Lovelace, who is used and abused by the porn industry at the behest of her coercive husband, before taking control of her life.
*Out August 9